Reunions
by RedHeadedViking
Summary: Commander Linda Shepard and Kaidan Alenko meet for the first time after Horizon.  A one-shot follow-on to "Made for You".


**Reunions**

"Thank you for your time, gentlemen. However, your services are no longer required." Commander Linda Shepard turned to the two C-Sec officers that had "escorted" her to her temporary quarters on the Citadel. "Unless the Council is placing me under house arrest?" she asked, brow arched.

"No, ma'am. You are free to come and go as you please," the senior officer replied. "For now at least. However, that may change if you piss the Council off again." He gave her a warning glare as he turned to leave.

Shepard stepped into her apartment. As the door slid shut quietly behind her, she heartily wished for an old-fashioned door that could be _slammed_. "I _HATE_ politics!" she announced to the empty room. "And right now, I'm not very fond of politicians either." She paced the room, trying to work off her frustration. "Harbinger himself could appear before the Council and inform them of the Reaper's plan to destroy all sentient life in the galaxy and they would dismiss him - promising to take his statement 'under advisement'."

The crippled Normandy had limped into dock at the Citadel three weeks earlier. Shepard prevailed on the Alliance to make the necessary repairs since Cerberus funding was no longer an option. The remaining crew and team members treated the downtime required for the repairs as much needed shore leave and scattered to various locations throughout the galaxy. Shepard, however, was determined to use the time to convince both the Council and the Alliance brass of the seriousness of the Reaper threat - leading to her current situation.

Linda paused in her pacing when she saw the message light on her extranet terminal flashing. She assumed that the message was from Udina; she knew he was going to have a few choice things to say about today's fiasco. She took a steadying breath and pushed the play button; it was a pleasant surprise to hear Garrus' voice coming through the speakers. "Shepard? Are you there?" There was a brief pause before he continued. "Damn. I'm sorry I missed you. I'm on a transport on my way back to the Citadel. I'll be back tonight at 1900 hours. Meet me at the Dark Star Lounge. Oh, and Shepard? I love you. I'll see you soon." Shepard played the message again, just to hear Garrus' voice; she had missed the turian more than she ever thought possible. Glancing at the chronometer, she hurried to shower and dress, a smile on her face; her day had suddenly taken a turn for the better.

####

The music at the Dark Star lounge was blaring; Linda chose a table far enough away from the dance floor to allow for conversation. After placing her order with the asari server, she settled in to wait for Garrus, her thoughts wandering to his trip to Palaven. She hoped it had gone well. Garrus' family was unaware of his time as a vigilante on Omega; the scars he received from his encounter with a Blue Suns gunship were sure to have been a shock to them. In addition, his mother was suffering from Corpalis Syndrome; his sister was angry at him for not helping with the care of their mother; his father was, well, his father - rigid and by-the-book. All in all, it had the makings of a truly disastrous family reunion.

Sensing movement out of the corner of her eye, Shepard glanced up with a smile to thank the server only to find Kaidan Alenko standing by the table, a tray in his hands.

"Hello, Shepard." Kaidan returned her smile as he placed the bottle and glasses on the table. "I talked the server into letting me deliver your order. Of course, the credits that I slipped her probably helped."

"Kaidan?" Shepard's heart caught for a moment - she had forgotten how handsome he was. Not quite sure how to respond, she stood and hugged him briefly. Pulling away, she said "I didn't know that you were on the Citadel."

"I just got back. I hear _you've_ been busy - not many people manage to get themselves kicked out of Citadel Tower."

Shepard laughed. "Word travels fast. Telling the Council members to pull their collective heads out of their collective asses didn't go over very well." Motioning to the empty chair across from her, she added "Will you join me?"

Kaidan hesitated. "Are you sure?" He gestured to the wine glasses. "Obviously, you're expecting someone."

"I am, but he won't be here for a while. Please?"

Kaidan considered for a moment before he nodded and sat down. Shepard resumed her seat and waited for him to speak first. He studied her carefully. "You look good Shepard." He cocked his head. "But, how the hell did you get a varren bite on your neck?" The bite wound that Garrus had given her - at her request - was healing and the new tissue covering the punctures glowed pinkly against her fair skin.

Shepard grinned. "Thanks. It isn't a varren bite, but it's a long story." She studied him in turn. "You look good too." She paused before adding "I'm glad that you're happier to see me than you were the last time we met."

"Yeah, Shepard. About that..." Kaidan began, dropping his gaze.

"It's okay, Kaidan. You had every right to be upset with me _and_ you've already apologized." She waited until he met her eyes before continuing. "If anyone needs to apologize, it's me."

An awkward silence fell between them. Shepard filled the wine glasses and pushed one toward Kaidan. "Here. I think we could both use this."

Kaidan took a sip. "Not bad." He glanced at the bottle. "I'm not familiar with this label."

Shepard willed herself not to blush. "Garrus introduced me to it. I've become quite fond of it." It was a bottle of the same vintage that Garrus brought to her cabin the night they became lovers. After taking a sip of wine, she took the plunge. "Kaidan, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you." She met his gaze directly so that he could see her sincerity. "My death hurt a lot of people, but one of the worst parts was hurting you."

Kaidan interrupted, "Shepard, you don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do. Dying wasn't my idea - nor was being rebuilt, restored, revived, resurrected...re-_whatever_ you want to call it." Linda threw her hands up in exasperation, and her voice developed an edge. "I'm _grateful_ that I was brought back, even if Cerberus was the one to do it. This battle isn't over yet and _I_ intend to finish it." Giving Kaidan an apologetic smile, she continued in a softer voice. "You were angry with me for letting you believe that I was dead for two years. I _was_ dead - or in a medically induced coma - that entire time. Once I awakened, I _tried_ to find you. No one could - or would - tell me anything; not even David Anderson." Bitterness crept into her voice. "All I knew was that you were still with the Alliance and were on a 'classified' mission. I had no idea where you were until you showed up after the battle on Horizon." Before she could stop herself, she added "Nice timing by the way. We could have used your assistance earlier - that Praetorian almost kicked our butts."

Kaidan winced. "Ouch."

Shepard shook her head. "Sorry - I don't know where that came from. I thought I had put any hard feelings behind me. Apparently, I was wrong."

"I deserve it. I let you have it with both barrels on Horizon and then walked away, leaving you to deal with everything - or not. I wasn't even brave enough to apologize to your face - I did it via email."

"I know that seeing me that day tore apart the life that you had finally started putting back together. You had every right to be upset. I had hoped that when - _if_ - we met again, things would go a little better than they did. However, life has a way of not going as expected - especially, it seems, for me."

Another silence, this one a little less awkward, settled. Once again, Shepard spoke first. "Your message said that you had started dating again." She raised an eyebrow questioningly. Kaidan nodded. Shepard continued, "Me too. The man that I am meeting tonight means everything to me."

Kaidan took Shepard's hand in his. "So, I guess this is goodbye?"

"Not necessarily, but it is a new beginning. We've both changed; neither of us are who we were two years ago. We've both started new lives. I hope we can always be friends." Linda squeezed his hand gently, then moved hers away. "So, what's next for you? Any exciting, unclassified missions that you can tell me about?"

"I don't really know. Admiral Hackett asked me to report to the Citadel; I don't know why."

"I could always use you onboard the Normandy."

"What happened to your crew? And why is the Alliance making the repairs to your ship? I must have missed something."

Shepard paused; sadness tinged her voice when she finally spoke. "Be glad that you did. The Collectors boarded my ship and took the entire crew with the exception of Joker. My team would have been taken as well had we not left the ship when the Reaper IFF was tested. We went to the Collector Base, but I was only able to recover half my crew. I also lost two team members in the battle - it's a miracle that it wasn't more."

"Hell, Shepard. I'm sorry. I didn't realize that anything like that had happened." The shock in Kaidan's voice was genuine.

"No reason you would have. Council and the Alliance are still in denial, so you certainly won't hear anything from them. In a nutshell, the Illusive Man is, shall we say, not happy with me. I told him to take his job and shove it; I also destroyed the Collector Base instead of turning it over to him _and_ one of his operatives, Miranda Lawson, died there, but not before she resigned from Cerberus."

Kaidan chuckled. "Still pissing off dangerous people, I see."

"Yeah, it has been pointed out to me that is has become something of a habit."

"How did the Alliance get involved?"

"I need the Normandy for the battle that lies ahead and with Cerberus out of the picture, I turned to the Alliance for repairs." Echoing Kaidan's final words on Horizon, Shepard added "You seem to have forgotten, I _am_ still an Alliance Marine."

Kaidan bowed his head. "I did forget that for awhile. I should have known that you would never turn your back on the Alliance."

"Yes, you should have. However, under the circumstances, I could understand your doubts." Shepard sighed. "Anyway, the Alliance has added the Normandy to the fleet and I'm sure they won't let any of the former crew set foot on the ship again."

"Of course not - they work for Cerberus!"

Shepard's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't be so quick to judge. There were no problems between the Cerberus crew and the non-humans on board. You need to learn to look past labels. These were good people just trying to make a living; most of them had no idea what Cerberus has done, or what the Illusive Man is capable of. Many of them gave their lives in the line of duty."

"Maybe so, but I still don't trust them."

"Neither does the Alliance, which is why I am in need of a new crew. I could use you on my team - if you're willing."

"Maybe. I've got a lot to think about."

Before another strained silence could fall, Dr. Chloe Michel rushed up to the table. "Kaidan, I'm so sorry I'm late! I had an emergency..." She broke off when she saw Shepard. "Oh, Commander Shepard. What an...unexpected surprise."

"Hello, Dr. Michel. It's been a long time."

Kaidan stood, kissed Chloe on the cheek, then pulled her into the chair next to him. "I was beginning to get concerned. Shepard and I have been talking shop while waiting on our respective dates."

"Commander, you are seeing someone?"

"Please, Doctor - call me Linda, or Shepard if you prefer. And yes, I am seeing someone." Glancing at the time she added, "He should be here any moment. You said you had an emergency. I hope it wasn't anything too serious?"

"Not at all. One of the 'duct rats' got a nasty cut that required a few stitches. I treat the kids for free, but they like to wait until just before I close before they come in. They feel they have less of a chance of running into the authorities that way."

Someone slid into the seat next to Shepard and a familiar voice rumbled, "Is this party by invitation only or can anyone join in?"

"Garrus!" Shepard threw her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead against his. "I'm glad you're back; I have _missed_ you!"

Garrus slid his arms around Shepard and pulled her close. "I've missed you, too." They held each other in silence for a moment.

Finally ending the hug, Shepard turned to face Kaidan and Chloe; identical expressions of astonishment suffused their faces. Shepard saw understanding dawn in Kaidan's eyes; his gaze darted from the wound on her neck, to Garrus, and then back to her. She gave him a grin and a small nod.

The server brought two more glasses and Shepard poured wine for the newcomers; Garrus squeezed her hand in silent thanks when he saw the bottle. Grey eyes twinkling, he asked "So, have you made believers out of the Council and the Alliance?"

"Not exactly. I'm currently _persona non grata_ at Citadel Tower and the Council has threatened to place me under house arrest."

"What happened?"

Kaidan finally found his voice. "She apparently told the Council to 'pull their collective heads out of their collective asses'."

"Really?" Garrus looked at Linda in admiration and gave her another hug. "That's my girl!"

Kaidan shook his head.

Chloe finally managed to stammer, "Garrus...your face! What happened?"

Garrus reached for his wine glass and gently rolled the stem back and forth between his fingers as he gathered his thoughts. "I managed to piss off a few mercenaries on Omega, and they decided to retaliate. One of them tried to take me out - with a gun ship. Fortunately, Shepard and her team showed up in time to help me with the battle _and_ to rush me to the Normandy when it was over. Doctor Chakwas did a damn fine job of putting me back together."

Shepard snorted. "The master of understatement, as always." She glanced at Garrus before focusing her attention on Kaidan and Chloe . "Don't let him kid you. He had pissed off pretty much _all_ of the mercenaries on Omega - to the point that they had banded together to take him down."

Chloe's eyes and voice softened slightly as she looked at Garrus again. "I'm glad they didn't succeed - the galaxy wouldn't be the same without you."

Garrus seemed flustered and fumbled for a response. Failing that, he jumped to his feet and held out his hand. "C'mon Shepard; let's dance."

"Are you sure about this? You've seen me dance before."

Garrus shuddered playfully. "Don't remind me. However, this time you aren't wearing body armor _and_ you have me. I'll have you dancing like a pro in no time."

"You're pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?" Shepard teased.

"Aren't I always?" Garrus replied. Then, remembering parts of their courtship, he added "Never mind. Don't answer that."

Shepard grinned and let Garrus pull her to her feet. He led her to the dance floor, where a few moments of general awkwardness on her part ensued. Finally, Garrus laughed. "Relax, Shepard. Just _feel_ the music and move with it. And let _me_ lead."

Shepard took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and forced herself to relax. Much to her surprise, she found that as she listened to the music and got a feel for its rhythm and flow, following Garrus' lead became much easier. She opened her eyes to find Garrus watching her, his mandibles flared in a grin. "You're doing fine. As a matter of fact, I think you're just about ready to move to the next level."

"Next level? What do you mean 'the next level'?"

With a sudden movement, Garrus spun Shepard away from him; she gave a yelp of surprise. When their arms were at their full extension, he spun her back; this time, Shepard laughed. "You could warn a girl you know." Garrus chuckled.

Several minutes later, Shepard found herself somewhat breathless. "I thought I was in shape," she panted.

"You're in excellent shape," Garrus replied, as he ran his eyes appreciatively over her body. "Believe me, I have been dreaming of your shape for weeks now. But, you're used to combat; dancing is different."

Soon, the music changed to a slower beat. Linda slid her arms around Garrus' neck and pressed herself against him. "Now, _this_ is more like it. I recommend that we try this again later - with fewer clothes in the way." Garrus growled his agreement.

They danced in silence, simply enjoying being in each other's arms again. The sound of a throat being cleared nearby startled them both. Kaidan addressed Garrus, "May I cut in?" Garrus glanced at Shepard who gave him a slight nod. Stepping away, Garrus squeezed Shepard's hand and told her, "I'll wait for you at the table."

Kaidan stepped close to Shepard and placed his hands gently on her hips; she placed her hands on his shoulders and made sure that no other parts of their bodies came into contact. As they began to dance, she studied him curiously. After a moment, he spoke. "So, you and Garrus...I didn't see that one coming."

Shepard laughed. "Neither did I, but I'm glad it did. Garrus was the only original team member, other than you, that I couldn't find after I woke up. I heard rumors that he was in the Terminus systems, but when the Illusive Man sent me to Omega to recruit a turian vigilante known as Archangel, I had no idea it was him. Our friendship picked up where it left off; then it grew, it changed...it became love." Looking into Kaidan's eyes, she continued "Garrus was there to help me pick up the pieces after Horizon."

Kaidan grunted. "I bet he was."

Linda's eyes flashed. "Garrus never once said anything against you." Kaidan had the grace to look ashamed.

As their dance turned her toward their table, Shepard caught Garrus' eye and gave him a wink; he grinned back. Turning back to Kaidan, she continued, "Garrus never doubted me. He knew that if I was with Cerberus, that I had a good reason for it and that was enough for him. He trusted me enough to follow me into Hell without question and without any doubts."

Kaidan hung his head. "We didn't have that kind of friendship, did we?"

"Apparently not. Could it have become that type of friendship?" Shepard shrugged. "We'll never know; we can't change what has happened. Even though many of the events of the past two years have been painful, I'm really happy with where I am now."

The music shifted back to a faster pace. Kaidan ended the dance, took Shepard's hand in his and pressed it to his lips. "You are an incredible woman, Shepard. I'm glad that you're happy and I'm happy for you - mostly. I won't kid you - there is a part of me that's jealous, but that will ease with time."

Linda squeezed his hand. "It's okay to let go and move on Kaidan. What we had was good, but you can find something so much better." She nodded toward Chloe. "If I'm not mistaken, there is a woman at that table that is already crazy about you. Give things a chance - you might be surprised at where they go." Still holding his hand, she led him back to the table.

####

As Kaidan danced with Linda, Garrus strolled back to the table, slid into his chair and casually crossed his legs by resting one ankle on the other knee - the very picture of self-assured masculinity. Across the table, Chloe fiddled with her wine glass nervously. "Is everything okay?" he asked, concerned.

Chloe shook her head; she seemed dangerously close to tears. "Shepard's back. How can I compete with her?"

"Compete? This isn't a competition. Besides, Shepard is with me."

"You don't feel threatened by Kaidan?"

Garrus sought Shepard's gaze just as her eyes sought his; she gave him a wink and he grinned in return. "Not at all. Shepard and Alenko were lovers, but their relationship ended and it ended abruptly. The last time they met, it got pretty ugly. They need a chance to say goodbye." Turning his attention back to Chloe, he asked "Can I give you some advice?" She nodded, still blinking back tears. "Don't try to compete with Shepard. You are an amazing woman in your own right; just be yourself. Give Kaidan a chance to know you and love you for who you are."

A slight smile touched Chloe's face and she looked up at Garrus through her lashes. "If I'm such an amazing woman, why didn't you ever return any of my calls or reply to any of my messages?"

"Touché." Garrus reached across the table and held his hand out, palm up; after a brief hesitation, Chloe placed her hand in his. "I didn't respond because I was a coward. I knew that you were interested in me and I didn't want to hurt you; I didn't return your feelings. I like you as a person, and consider you a friend, but that is all. To be honest, I've never thought of humans as particularly attractive as a species." Chloe arched an eyebrow at him almost as well as Shepard. Garrus hung his head sheepishly. "I know, I know. I don't know how to explain the difference, but I have always found Shepard attractive - in spite of the fact that she's human." Raising his head to meet Chloe's eyes, he continued "You deserved better. I'm sorry. I hope that you can forgive me."

Chloe squeezed Garrus' hand, then released it and quickly dried her eyes. "Apology - and advice - accepted. I wish you and Shepard the best; I think you will be good for each other." She pushed away from the table and stood. "Now, if you will excuse me, there is a certain Staff Commander that needs my attention - whether he knows it or not." Just as Chloe turned to walk away, Shepard and Alenko returned.

Linda kissed Kaidan lightly on the cheek, then placed his hand in Chloe's. Smiling, she said "Take care of him Chloe, he's a good man."

Chloe wrapped her arm around Kaidan's and nodded. "Don't worry - I will."

After bidding the other couple farewell, Shepard reached out and pulled Garrus to his feet, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. "C'mon you, we've got some getting reacquainted to do."

Garrus laughed and slid his arm around her waist; "I thought you'd never ask." As they walked away, he asked quietly, "Do you think he's aware of the resemblance between you and Chloe?"

Shepard glanced over her shoulder, then shook her head, "I don't think so. Not consciously, at least." She flashed Garrus a wicked grin. "Of course, he may just have a thing for red heads."

The two of them strolled toward Shepard's quarters, arms around each other's waist, heads close together in conversation. They were oblivious to the startled looks they received from passers-by unused to seeing human/turian couples.

"Commander Shepard!" An insistent voice broke into their reunion. They turned to see Admiral Hackett approaching, purpose in his stride.

Shepard glanced at Garrus. "Oh, hell. This can't be good."

Garrus removed his arm from Shepard's waist, but kept a firm grip on her hand. "Whatever it is - I'm here. We'll handle it together."

Hackett acknowledged Garrus with a nod, but his attention was focused on Shepard. "Shepard, I'm glad I found you. I wanted to talk to you in person. I can delay the batarians no longer - the time has come for you to return to Earth to stand trial for your actions in the destruction of the Alpha Relay. Pack your bags, you leave tomorrow. I'm sending Staff Commander Alenko as your escort and Alliance representative."

Shepard saluted; "Yessir."

Hackett returned the salute; "Good luck and God Speed, Commander."

Garrus spoke as the Admiral turned to leave. "I will be accompanying Shepard as well, Admiral."

Hackett scowled. "You? You have no input into this - this is an Alliance matter."

Garrus met the Admiral's gaze without flinching. "It may be an Alliance matter, but _Shepard_ matters to me; where she goes, I go."

The battle-hardened marine's expression softened slightly at the sight of their clasped hands. "Very well. I won't try to stop you, but make no attempt to interfere with the proceedings."

"I understand, sir. Thank you."

Shepard sighed as she turned to Garrus. "Well, this is a hell of a reunion, isn't it? You just got back and now we have to leave again."

Garrus pulled Shepard close and smoothed her hair away from her face. "We knew that this was coming sooner or later. For now, I recommend that we return to your place and make the most of the next few hours." They slid their arms around each other's waists again as they continued to Shepard's apartment.

"What exactly did you have in mind?"

"Well, if you remember, I told you that I have been dreaming of your shape for weeks. Let me tell you exactly what I have been dreaming of _doing_ with your shape."

Shepard shivered in anticipation. "Please do." She knew that when she returned to Earth, Garrus would have her back - as always. For tonight, however, she was far more interested in what he planned to do with the rest of her.


End file.
